All free entry tickets announced at the Arignar Anna Zoological Park, Vandalur, for June 21 and 22 in connection with the birthday of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay have been fully booked, according to a release issued by the zoo on Saturday.The zoo administration said only visitors who had pre-booked free entry tickets through the zoo website, tickets.aazp.in, would be allowed entry on the two days. It added that on-the-spot ticket booking at the zoo counters would not be available on both days.Zoo officials said 20,000 tickets had been booked online for each of the two days and that the booking had now reached capacity.Forest Minister R.V. Ranjithkumar had earlier announced that the entry would be free at the Arignar Anna Zoological Park in Vandalur, Amirthi Zoological Park in Vellore district, and Kurumbapatti Zoological Park in Salem district.He had said the entire ticket cost would be borne by his family trust and that the Vandalur zoo would not suffer any financial loss. The estimated expenditure for the initiative is around ₹1 crore.The official release said visitor entry had been regulated in view of the expected heavy footfall to prevent overcrowding, ensure sufficient space for visitor movement and facilitate the management of essential amenities and services. The measures were also intended to ensure the welfare of captive animals, the release said. Published - June 20, 2026 07:51 pm IST